Report: Agencies Facing More Challenges for FOIA Information

A new report finds an increase in court challenges to agencies withholding information specified in Freedom of Information Act requests.

More public agencies are facing court challenges for Freedom of Information Act requests.

There were 378 cases filed regarding the withholding of federal documents in fiscal year 2011, according to a FOIA Project report issued Tuesday. That’s a 27 percent increase from the previous fiscal year.

The group found 708 defendants listed on complaints concerning FOIA requests from October 2010 through last week.

Researchers with the FOIA Project, funded by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse and Syracuse University, have compiled data on FOIA challenges dating back to October 2009. View challenges filed in your area with their map.